New Personal Best

[old] rspenger · Post by **[old] rspenger** » October 15th, 2005, 4:02 pm

Ho-hum, another day - another record.<br /><br />Well, a post-op personal best at least. Last Saturday, doing the 3k, 2k, 1k Dev Sq workout, I got a new "at home" PB for the 2k and was a second over my 1k time for last season. Today the 3k and 2k were not bad, but the 1k time, 4:06.8, was 4.8 seconds under my last season 1k. I went throught the archives back through 2002, which is the earliest that I could find, and it appears to be a record back that far. I did find a much faster time for 80+. Don Alden set a phenomenal 3:55.2, at age 81 in 2003, but he was a heavyweight. When Don and I were competing (he was always ahead) a decade ago, I was struggling to make lightweight - not always successfully. It is no problem nowadays. I barely top 155# in recent weighings. For that I give credit to my gastro-esopohageal reflux disorder diet - i.e. no snacks for at least 3 hours before lying down - even to do pushups. That means I can't even lie down after a workout if I have some Gatorade.<br /><br />My result has received the "V" seal of approval, but I have no witnesses. Presumably my logcard is proof that someone at least did that time and distance and my wife can testify that we have been the only ones in the garage where the erg sits and that she did not do it. In other words, I didn't borrow a gorilla from a zoo or hire a local high school kid to do it. Certainly none of the local adults would have done it. To them a rower is a fisherman whose outboard conked out on him when he was out in the middle of one of the local lakes fishing.<br /><br />Bob S.

[old] michaelb · Post by **[old] michaelb** » October 16th, 2005, 3:55 pm

I have been dieting so I can row as 40 year lightweight, and not have to compete with the big boys. I took a year or so to go from 189 to 175, and now over the last 3 weeks I have gotten serious and have dropped to 170. Dieting has definitely affected my rowing, and I seem to run out of gas doing long rows that should be easy. Drinking some gatorade before I start has helped a bit.<br /><br />So I was psyched in today's online 5k race to still hit a PB, 18:38.9, down from 18:40.2 over the summer racing series. I was tired before the race and not sure I was really up for it, and I never really got in the groove, and just struggled to hold 152s all the way through.<br /><br />But now I feel great, and may actually have a beer tonight (a real beer, smuggled across the border from Canada).

[old] GutBustin' · Post by **[old] GutBustin'** » October 16th, 2005, 5:33 pm

Congrats Michael! Do you mind telling me how tall you are? I'm curious to see if going lightweight is good for your health in general, or just for competing. <br /><br /><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 03:55 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I have been dieting so I can row as 40 year lightweight, and not have to compete with the big boys. I took a year or so to go from 189 to 175, and now over the last 3 weeks I have gotten serious and have dropped to 170. Dieting has definitely affected my rowing, and I seem to run out of gas doing long rows that should be easy. Drinking some gatorade before I start has helped a bit.<br /><br />So I was psyched in today's online 5k race to still hit a PB, 18:38.9, down from 18:40.2 over the summer racing series. I was tired before the race and not sure I was really up for it, and I never really got in the groove, and just struggled to hold 152s all the way through.<br /><br />But now I feel great, and may actually have a beer tonight (a real beer, smuggled across the border from Canada). <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[old] mpukita · Post by **[old] mpukita** » October 16th, 2005, 6:31 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 03:55 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>I have been dieting so I can row as 40 year lightweight, and not have to compete with the big boys. I took a year or so to go from 189 to 175, and now over the last 3 weeks I have gotten serious and have dropped to 170. Dieting has definitely affected my rowing, and I seem to run out of gas doing long rows that should be easy. Drinking some gatorade before I start has helped a bit.<br /><br />So I was psyched in today's online 5k race to still hit a PB, 18:38.9, down from 18:40.2 over the summer racing series. I was tired before the race and not sure I was really up for it, and I never really got in the groove, and just struggled to hold 152s all the way through.<br /><br />But now I feel great, and may actually have a beer tonight (a real beer, smuggled across the border from Canada). <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Michael:<br /><br />Congrats!<br /><br />I just lost about 20 pounds to get to lightweight -- maybe I should say I lost about 20 pounds to get back to where I should be weight-wise for my height, and it just so happened that moving from heavy-weight to light-weight was an added benefit. At only 5' 7", it was almost mandatory to be able to get at all competitive from an age & weight standpoint, which I hope to be in the next few years.<br /><br />I have noticed a marked difference in my strength from losing the weight, but set a 5K PB last weekend in our Fall Series races, so I'm energized about the prospects. I've just started strenght training again, and am quite sore today from overdoing it yesterday. I was finding it much more difficult to lose the weight if I was doing strength training, so I gave it up for the duration of the weight loss. I'd be interested in your experience in this regard.<br /><br />Regards -- Mark<br />

[old] michaelb · Post by **[old] michaelb** » October 16th, 2005, 7:07 pm

I should set up my profile one of these days like everyone else. I am 5'9", so 165 should be a target I can reach. When I was weightlifting in high school and college, I remember drinking milk shakes every day just to get up to 165. I am thinking of racing as lightweight this fall, and then deciding if I want to stay there, particularly for the crash-bs. But as a 40's L I am vaguely competitive, close to top 10% in most events.

[old] TheHagueDragon · Post by **[old] TheHagueDragon** » October 17th, 2005, 2:28 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(hennmart @ Oct 15 2005, 11:53 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Today in a great RowPro Race with Jaime and Pieter (3 times 2K.) I had a new PB:<br /><br /><span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>6:38,9 (was 6:44,0) </span></span><br /><br />I can use this progression for the upcoming BIRC were I and Pieter want to go to.<br /><br />Jaime had two PB's one in the first race and the second race a new one: Congratulations Jaime.<br /><br />Hennie <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Wow, that's quite some progression Hennie! Congratulations...<br />I looked up the scores from last year, then your PB was 7:02:0.<br />They must be scared for you now at the BIRC

[old] jfisher · Post by **[old] jfisher** » October 17th, 2005, 7:22 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(hennmart @ Oct 15 2005, 05:53 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Today in a great RowPro Race with Jaime and Pieter (3 times 2K.) I had a new PB:<br /><br /><span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>6:38,9 (was 6:44,0) </span></span><br /><br />I can use this progression for the upcoming BIRC were I and Pieter want to go to.<br /><br />Jaime had two PB's one in the first race and the second race a new one: Congratulations Jaime.<br /><br />Hennie <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Very nice Hennie! I remember when we were about the same speed. Not any more...<br /><br />Keep up the good work.<br /><br />Jeff

[old] mpukita · Post by **[old] mpukita** » October 17th, 2005, 11:47 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 07:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>But as a 40's L I am vaguely competitive, close to top 10% in most events. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Michael:<br /><br />At 46, I would die to be top 10% in my age group. I'll keep training and hope for improvement, but getting from between 50th and 60th percentile now, down to top 10% seems a long, long way for me to go. <br /><br />I'd be interested in the progression of others in this regards.<br /><br />For me, it might be easier to get older faster, since I'm already playing the lightweight card (at least some days, today I am 166 ... too much peach pie and homemade ice cream yesterday).<br /><br /> <br /><br />

[old] hennmart · Post by **[old] hennmart** » October 17th, 2005, 1:59 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(mpukita @ Oct 17 2005, 05:47 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 07:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>But as a 40's L I am vaguely competitive, close to top 10% in most events. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Michael:<br /><br />At 46, I would die to be top 10% in my age group. I'll keep training and hope for improvement, but getting from between 50th and 60th percentile now, down to top 10% seems a long, long way for me to go. <br /><br />I'd be interested in the progression of others in this regards.<br /><br />For me, it might be easier to get older faster, since I'm already playing the lightweight card (at least some days, today I am 166 ... too much peach pie and homemade ice cream yesterday).<br /><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Hallo,<br /><br />It can be done but you have to train, train and train (lots of kms). I have done this for 10 months and now I make good times and I'm in almost in all distances in the 10%.<br /><br />So I think when I can you can do it too <br /><br />Hennie

[old] Citroen · Post by **[old] Citroen** » October 17th, 2005, 3:12 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(hennmart @ Oct 17 2005, 06:59 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(mpukita @ Oct 17 2005, 05:47 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 07:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>But as a 40's L I am vaguely competitive, close to top 10% in most events. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Michael:<br /><br />At 46, I would die to be top 10% in my age group. I'll keep training and hope for improvement, but getting from between 50th and 60th percentile now, down to top 10% seems a long, long way for me to go. <br /><br />I'd be interested in the progression of others in this regards.<br /><br />For me, it might be easier to get older faster, since I'm already playing the lightweight card (at least some days, today I am 166 ... too much peach pie and homemade ice cream yesterday).<br /><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Hallo,<br /><br />It can be done but you have to train, train and train (lots of kms). I have done this for 10 months and now I make good times and I'm in almost in all distances in the 10%.<br /><br />So I think when I can you can do it too <br /><br />Hennie <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Hennie,<br /><br />You have a significant advantage over Mark (or me). You're more than 20cms (8inches) taller than Mark (or me). <br /><br />I'm almost lightweight (11st12 == 166lb == 75.1Kg). I put my BIRC entry in the M40 HWT category. I've been doing lots of Kms since 10th Sept.<br /><br />Dougie.

[old] Niels Sawman · Post by **[old] Niels Sawman** » October 17th, 2005, 3:26 pm

Hi - I have begun ERging by first of August and I have improved some. I started out with a 500 m spilt time of 2:05:0 and now I pull a regular 500 m splittime of 1:47:0 in 5 K. <br /><br />All I do is to change the exersize. Some days I do interval training, some days I do longdistance training ( 39 min) and some days I do a 5K.<br /><br />Slowly but surely I improve.<br /><br />

[old] rspenger · Post by **[old] rspenger** » October 17th, 2005, 4:11 pm

I had been having a problem of doing better on the second piece of a multi-piece workout than I did on the first. I suspected that my 5 minute warmup wasn't enough and another forum member recently commented that a warmup should be at least 15 minutes. Accordingly, I tried a 15 minute warmup today - 3' each at 15, 18, 20, 22, and 15 spm, instead of 1' at each.<br /><br />It paid off remarkably well. Today's workout out called for 2 X 30' pieces and my first 30' piece was not only a post-op personal best, but appears to be a world ranker for my category going back at least through 2002. For the seasons 2002 through 2006, there are three longer distances posted for the 30' by a couple of 80+ rowers, but they are both heavyweights.<br /><br />For the second 30' piece, with 3' rest in between, I was happy to drop down to a paddle pressure at the start, but managed to pick up the pace in the last 2/3 of the piece to have a respectable finish.<br /><br />data:<br />Time: 30.00.0<br />Distance: 6658 meters (previous post-op best 6515)<br />Drag Factor: 166<br />Stroke rate: constant 20 spm<br />Indoor Rower: Model B<br />Altitude: 4000 feet<br /><br />Bob S.

[old] GutBustin' · Post by **[old] GutBustin'** » October 17th, 2005, 10:49 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Citroen @ Oct 17 2005, 03:12 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(hennmart @ Oct 17 2005, 06:59 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(mpukita @ Oct 17 2005, 05:47 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Oct 16 2005, 07:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>But as a 40's L I am vaguely competitive, close to top 10% in most events. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Michael:<br /><br />At 46, I would die to be top 10% in my age group. I'll keep training and hope for improvement, but getting from between 50th and 60th percentile now, down to top 10% seems a long, long way for me to go. <br /><br />I'd be interested in the progression of others in this regards.<br /><br />For me, it might be easier to get older faster, since I'm already playing the lightweight card (at least some days, today I am 166 ... too much peach pie and homemade ice cream yesterday).<br /><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Hallo,<br /><br />It can be done but you have to train, train and train (lots of kms). I have done this for 10 months and now I make good times and I'm in almost in all distances in the 10%.<br /><br />So I think when I can you can do it too <br /><br />Hennie <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Hennie,<br /><br />You have a significant advantage over Mark (or me). You're more than 20cms (8inches) taller than Mark (or me). <br /><br />I'm almost lightweight (11st12 == 166lb == 75.1Kg). I put my BIRC entry in the M40 HWT category. I've been doing lots of Kms since 10th Sept.<br /><br />Dougie. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I checked out Hennie's log and he's done more than 2 and a half million metres this season. Sounds to me like that's the bigger advantage.

[old] mpukita · Post by **[old] mpukita** » October 17th, 2005, 11:01 pm

<br /><br />Wow! That would explain much about his times! If I only had the time! Maybe soon.

[old] michaelb · Post by **[old] michaelb** » October 17th, 2005, 11:20 pm

Many of us have watched Hennie blow past after this year. His 10k is just scary fast to me, so I don't think he has reached his potential yet for the shorter distances. We all hit plateaus at some point, and then you have to do something, like train more and harder and differently, to get past them.<br /><br />Looking back at my log, I didn't really race anything in the 2005 season, but in 2004 my ranked rows were in the 35-55% range, so I don't think of myself as fast. Although I row a decent amount, I don't really train, particularly compared to what others are doing here. Turning 40 helped by at least 5% points, and going lightweight is at least that much as well. But now I notice that the 2005 rankings are a lot faster then what people have ranked for 2006, so top 10% may still be a long way off actually.<br /><br />The funny thing about indoor rowing, where you spend your time staring at a computer that measures your performance continuously, is that you have to believe you can hold a particular pace. In 2004, I was psyched to go under 40 min for the 10k, and could never have believed that I could hold a 1:55 pace which was then my 5k pace. Even now, I can't get my brain around thinking I could row 1:49s or even 1:50s for the 5k, so I need to do something to convince myself that that is possible before I try a hard 5k again.

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